Piston expelled chemiluminescent water signal dispenser



Aug. 12, 1969 s. M. LITTLE ETAL PISTON EXPELLED cusmwmmsscsu'r WATER SIGNAL DISPENSER Filed July 21, 1967 FIG.

FIG. 2.

S R N O A T W NLRO E G R TL E VI E FC L I EM LL I N VI NE N UD T TY Y T SSMB A 3,460,507 PISTON EXPELLED CHEMILUMINESCENT VJATER SIGNAL DISPENSER Steven M. Little, Sydney Shefier, and Marvin E. Mc-

Gowan, China Lake, Califi, assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed July 21, 1967, Set. No. 655,245 Int. Cl. G09f 9/00 U.S. Cl. 116-124 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Rescue and navigation aid providing a light source on the surface of water characterized by a canister containing chemiluminescent liquid which is hermetically sealed against entry of air and expelled by a piston actuated by a powder charge.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

It has been the practice in the prior art to mark locations on large bodies of water, such as the sea, by floating flares to aid aircraft pilots in night searches or as a navigation aid. One of the disadvantages of this technique is that a point source of light does not provide depth perception; another is that a point source of light tends to give aircraft pilots vertigo.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a dispenser for chemiluminescent material which spreads over the surface of the water, providing a light source over a substantial area, indicating wind direction due to the shape of its drift, and also providing depth perceptioin of the area.

Another object is to hermetically seal the containers against entry of air with which chemiluminescent material reacts.

A further object is to render usable portions of existing canisters which were intended for a different purpose, thus efiecting an economy of manufacture.

Still further objects, advantages and salient features will become apparent from the description to follow, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the subject of the invention, portions being shown in cross section taken along its longitudinal axis, and

FIG. 2 is a like section of a portion of FIG. 1 showing an alternative form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, the subject of the invention comprises a cylindrical canister 10 having an integral end wall 12 which threadedly receives a tube 14 which contains a time delay and impact fuze (not shown) which is initiated by release of a lever 16 after removal of a safety pin 18. Upon initiation, a suitable detonator within the tube initiates a powder charge 20 which ruptures the tube and produces gas under pressure, the structure so far described being conventional in a dispenser used for a different purpose.

The foregoing structure is modified by providing the canister with an O-ring sealed piston 22 which surrounds the fuze tube, the piston being provided with a central annular boss or projection 24 which slideably moves relative to one end of the fuze tube. The lower end of the canister is plugged by a cup shaped O-ring sealed end closure 26, retained in position by a plurality of dimples 28 which are deformed into an annular groove 30 in the United States Patent 3,460,507 Patented Aug. 12, 1969 closure. The space between the plug and piston is filled with a chemiluminescent material 32, the filling and application of the end closure being effected in an inert atmosphere, such as nitrogen, to thus prevent entry of oxygen with which the material reacts.

In the operation of the device, initiation of the powder charge pressurizes one side of the piston which pressurizes the liquid material forcing the plug out of engagement with the detents or dimples, the piston continuing to move to the now open end of the canister, ejecting its contents.

If it is desired to dispense two liquids, such as chemiluminescent material and a marking dye, a slideable O- ring sealed piston 34 may be provided, as illustrated in FIG. 2, which separates the liquids until dispensed from the canister.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for dispensing chemiluminescent material comprising;

a cylindrical tubular canister having an integral end wall;

a rupturable fuze and gas generator tube sealingly secured to said end wall and having a portion projecting axially into the canister;

a cup-shaped piston surrounding the projecting portion of the gas generator tube, the piston being O-ring sealed to the inner surface of the canister;

said piston being provided with a projecting annular boss, closed at one end, and surrounding a portion of the gas generator tube;

a cup-shaped plug closing the other end of the canister and O-ring sealed thereto;

detents deformed from the wall of the canister into the plug for retaining same in the canister; and

a chemiluminescent material filling the space between the piston and the plug;

the construction being such that when the gas generator tube ruptures, one side of the piston is pressurized, pressurizing the material, and moving the plug to deform the detents, forcing the material out of the canister as the piston moves to the open end.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including a second piston disposed between said cup-shaped piston and said plug, O-ring sealed to the canister and separating it into two compartments, one containing the chemiluminescent material and the other containing marking dye.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,094,562 9/1937 Lowy 102-65 2,675,776 4/1954 Tuve.

2,803,838 8/1957 Wales 9-9 2,836,143 5/1958 Shofi 116124 3,043,263 7/1962 Klopp et a1. 116-124 3,157,890 11/1964 Mellon et a1 99 3,313,268 4/ 1967 Reiffel 116-424 3,372,641 3/1968 Foster 102-65 3,380,383 4/1968 Schnepfe 102--64 LOUIS J. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 10-2-65 

